


CORUCAFSS: Case no 9877882 (Jango Fett v. Jedi Order)

by Zirakinbar



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Republic custody law, Young Anakin Skywalker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:54:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26950966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zirakinbar/pseuds/Zirakinbar
Summary: Jango Fett marries Shmi Skywalker and decides he’d like his step-son back from the Jedi, thanks very much. Obi-Wan Kenobi would much prefer if the notorious bounty hunter could stop stalking his Padawan. Maleena Wendin, of Coruscant’s Children and Family Support Services, just wants this whole mess off her desk.(Could Mr. Fett please clarify what he means by “the Jedi taking a nine-year-old into an active warzone”? No reasonable adult would – oh. Oh no.)
Relationships: Jango Fett/Shmi Skywalker
Comments: 245
Kudos: 761





	1. Chapter 1

**APPLICATION TO THE CORUSCANT CHILDREN AND FAMILY COURT**

FOR REVIEW BY THE CORUSCANT CHILDREN AND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES (CORUCAFSS)

APPLICANT(S): JANGO FETT & SHMI SKYWALKER

RESPONDENT: THE ~~HUT’UUN JETII~~ JEDI ORDER

AFFECTED CHILD: ANAKIN SKYWALKER

***

_…Mr. Fett alleges that the Jedi did not receive official custody transfer of one Anakin Skywalker and instead purchased him off a slave owner (Ref: WATTO) while leaving the custodial mother in slavery. As such, and due to the extreme nature of the circumstances that Ms. Skywalker was in through no fault of her own, Mr. Fett alleges that custody transfer cannot be considered official. Mr. Fett petitions the courts for the review of the custodial arrangements of the affected child and his return to his biological mother and new step-father…_

***

Maleena Wendin couldn’t remember who she’d offended recently. There was the incident with the akk-hound, the speeder, and the senator’s wife’s mistress, _sure_. And there’d been that evening where she’d mistaken Mx. Brrsh-krsk’s husband for their pet rexilka, but that was a mistake anyone could have made. And maybe there’d been a minor incident when the Vor foster parents accused her of trying to poison them with the Kimi child placement, but how was _she_ supposed to know their species were allergic to each other?

The point was, she had done _nothing_ to deserve this four-headed vispner-adder of a case being dumped on her desk.

She tried to poke the datapad a little further away from her on the desk with one tentacle. Maybe she could accidentally feed it to one of the Kyrakkil children when she went to visit them in their placement next week?

The was a noise. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was distinctly identifiable as a deliberate noise. She glanced up reluctantly and her gaze froze on a suit of armour.

…A Mandalorian, she realised dimly after a moment. Not a suit of armour. That would have been creepy.

She stared at the featureless visor. The visor stared back.

“Do you have an appointment?” she tried after a moment. She was pretty sure the Mandalorian was _not_ in her diary, being as she’d set her diary up to auto-reject all meetings while she despaired over her life and future being tied up in this case.

One armoured glove reached out for her datapad.

“That’s passworded and bioscan protected!” she protested.

The helmet gave her a withering look and tapped a few things on the screen. It promptly unlocked. Maleena blinked her third eye at it.

“Or… not…” she said weakly. Her calendar was promptly brought up on screen and the datapad was offered back to her.

In it, there was one recurring appointment filling all day every day for the next four weeks. It read “Jango Fett” on it, with no other details attached. Maleena was very certain that she had not entered this into her schedule. She looked up to tell (presumably) Jango Fett this and the blank look she was given rapidly made her reconsider. Daily meetings on the case sounded great!

(Had he deleted her _performance review_? Oh well, she already knew what was going to happen there.)

“Jango Fett,” she said slowly. The head inclined slightly and she wondered where she’d heard the name before.

“I presume that you have reviewed the case,” Jango Fett’s voice said, sounding a little mechanical through his audio-filter.

One of Maleena’s tentacles jittered behind her slightly and she used another to pin it down. _Never let a predator know that you’re afraid_ , she thought desperately.

“Ah,” she said. “Yes.” Her smile was a sickly thing, but she was pretty sure Fett was registered as at least mostly human and humans found smiles reassuring she knew. “Your wife’s son.”

The tilt of the helmet suggested Jango Fett had found her phrasing _very_ offensive. “ _My_ son,” he corrected sharply. “Mandalorian culture holds that the children of your partner are your own.”

“What if you get divorced?” Maleena asked, her curiosity taking over for a second.

“There is no divorce,” Fett said very flatly.

“But-“ Maleena tried.

“ _None_.”

“None,” Maleena repeated a little faintly. “Understood.” She bound two of her tentacles together in front of her mouth in a thoughtful pose, hoping it hid the tremors. “You see, Mr. Fett, there seems to be some minor complications here.”

Fett’s helmet stared at her. She presumed that the man also stared at her beneath the helmet, but couldn’t be quite certain because of the whole heavily armoured thing. It didn’t feel very friendly.

“It’s just – um, your wedding happened _after_ the custody transfer which means your spousal custody rights are – um, _non-existentunderRepubliclaw_.”

“Mandalorian culture says they exist,” Fett said.

“And we at CORUCAFSS respect all cultures!” Maleena insisted loudly. “Even the ones that insist on eating their own discarded limbs and let me tell _you_ that was not a good week in my life when I had to try and work out if it’s legally cannibalism when it’s their… own… flesh.” She trailed off at Jango Fett’s unimpressed armour – glare – could armour glare? His certainly was. “It isn’t!” she squeaked. “In case you’re curious! Which you aren’t!”

The armour stared at her silently.

“It’s just that _technically_ Mandalore isn’t part of the Republic which means – ah, _technically_ , your cultural rules aren’t really applicable and also the affected child isn’t _actually_ Mandalorian so – ah-”

“He’ll be Mandalorian when he swears the _Resol’nare_ ,” Fett said dismissively. “We’re very accommodating about citizenship.”

“We generally discourage subsuming the child’s culture like that,” Maleena said earnestly.

“His culture,” Jango Fett said. Maleena twitched a little.

“Yes,” she said slowly.

“Of being a slave,” Fett continued. Which – yes, that had been in the report hadn’t it? Maleena had hoped that had been exaggerated. “Where the Jedi _bought_ him.”

“Um,” Maleena said weakly. “The report said freed.”

“Coincidentally _freeing_ a minor child and leaving his mother behind in slavery,” Fett said. “That’s an interesting definition of freeing.”

Privately Maleena agreed. Enquiries to the Jedi had been _very_ vague about how Anakin had specifically ended up in their custody. Apparently one ‘Qui-Gon Jinn’ who had been responsible was now unfortunately unable to answer queries having apparently been killed by a Sith, which was highly inconsiderate of him. The child’s custodial parent – or ‘Master’, according to the Jedi – was now apparently off-planet for his job and had taken Anakin with him.

“She’s now free, by the way,” Fett continued pointedly. “I freed her _without_ participating in trading money for sentient flesh.”

…Which meant that he’d probably used a lot of violence instead. Wonderful.

“Congratulations!” she beamed desperately. “However, custody arrangements with the Jedi are typically considered final under Republic law unless otherwise determined by the active and unprompted wish of the child.”

“They took him into an active warzone when he was nine,” Fett said. “After telling his mother that they’d look after him.”

“I,” Maleena said. “Don’t the Mandalorians approve of such things?”

“Not until they’re thirteen,” Fett said in tones of utter self-righteousness. “Otherwise it’s just _reckless_.”

“Ah,” Maleena said. “Well Mr. Fett, you know that we have to accommodate for the aging lifecycles of many different species so in the case of the affected child-”

“He’s human.”

Maleena wilted. “Are you certain?” she checked. Fett’s armour stared at her.

“Well,” she rallied after a moment. “I’d have to check Republic law on the matter, but as a Padawan-”

“He wasn’t a Padawan at the time.”

“It was really an active warzone?” she asked mournfully

“Naboo.”

“And they didn’t leave him somewhere safe?”

“He flew an N1 starfighter into a dogfight and destroyed a Droid Control Ship.”

“Oh,” Maleena said sadly.

“He was given a medal for it on Naboo.”

Well… that was rather hard to dispute, wasn’t it?

“I see,” she said slowly. “Typically the next steps are to request an interview with the custodial parent-”

“ _Master_ ,” Fett said venomously. “Don’t you think it’s a loaded term to ask a slave child to use that in relation to someone with custody over them?”

Which, _yes,_ but-

“With the custodial parent,” she repeated firmly, “And to gather all available evidence. This will take several weeks at the least. In the meantime, you’d need to submit records to demonstrate yours and your wife’s suitability for an accompanying child, which would include records of a stable job, place to live, education, and general other references. We would also expect to interview Ms. Skywalker in the near future to understand the current situation and any input on how custody was previously transferred.”

Fett nodded in satisfaction.

“What about the Jetii?” he asked and Maleena paused.

“What about him?” she asked cautiously.

“Am I allowed to submit information on him to the investigating officers as well?”

“Well, yes,” she said slowly, and then she recalled his job. “I – Mr. Fett, all information must be legally obtained-!” 

***

… _You are requested to return to Coruscant to participate in an ongoing CORUCAFSS investigation on the custodial rights of one ANAKIN SKYWALKER…_

“What,” Obi-Wan said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did anyone know that there was apparently a legends event in which the Jedi Order was challenged for custody? Because I didn’t! (Justice for Baby Ludi!)

“We are being challenged for custody,” Obi-Wan Kenobi repeated blankly. Mace Windu managed to keep his exasperation off his face.

“Yes,” he agreed neutrally. “The claim has been filed with CORUCAFSS.”

“By Jango Fett,” Obi-Wan said. His gaze was starting to resemble a thousand-yard stare.

“Yes,” Mace said.

“Jango Fett, the Jedi killer,” Obi-Wan said. “Who is challenging me for custody of my Padawan.”

Mace tapped his fingers impatiently.

“ _Why_ is Jango Fett, the Jedi killer, challenging me for custody of my Padawan, Master Windu?” Obi-Wan enquired and Mace sighed in exasperation.

“Jango Fett-”

“-The Jedi killer,” Obi-Wan added helpfully.

“-married Shmi Skywalker and believes this means that custody of her child has become his concern,” Mace said, managing not to twitch at the interruption.

“I understand that in concept,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. “It’s just – Jango Fett kills Jedi.”

Mace blinked slowly.

“Anakin _is_ a Jedi,” Obi-Wan continued. “Which, we have established, Jango Fett kills. Therefore, it would seem fundamentally unwise to give a Jedi to Jango Fett for him to kill. Therefore, this custody case is clearly nonsense.” He tried a beaming smile at Mace. Mace stared back at him.

“The CORUCAFSS representative still needs to talk to you this afternoon,” he said flatly. “Don’t be late.”

“Master Windu-!” Obi-Wan protested. “I just don’t see why we’re even entertaining the question. The Jedi haven’t been challenged for custody in over five hundred years now!”

“Yes,” Mace said. “However, the Jedi also generally haven’t gone around purchasing Force sensitives and suborning them into the Order, either. Perhaps Qui-Gon Jinn should have considered that.”

Obi-Wan drew himself up in dignity. “I think you mean _freeing_ Force sensitives and giving them the _opportunity_ to join the Order, Master Windu,” he said and Mace nodded slowly.

“Good line,” he said. “You’ll want to try that one with the CORUCAFSS representative.”

Obi-Wan deflated.

“There’s no getting out of this?” he checked hopefully and was met with Mace’s unimpressed glance. “Bureaucracy is a _plague_ upon the galaxy,” he muttered sourly and Mace inclined his head.

“Welcome to knighthood,” he said. “Now get them to _stop contacting the Order_.”

*******

“Mr. Kenobi,” the CORUCAFSS representative said. She looked rather frazzled, greenish tentacles tinted purple with stress. He suspected it was to do with the distinctive suit of Mandalorian armour that had been hovering in the lobby previously, and was now pretending not to be hiding behind an inadequate potted plant, some half a room away.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to correct her to ‘Knight Kenobi’ and then closed it again after a brief moment’s thought.

“Why, yes,” he said brightly. “That would be me. And you are, my dear…?”

“Maleena Wendin,” she said. “Thank you to responding to our _forty seventh_ request for interview.”

Ah, Obi-Wan thought. No wonder Master Windu had been a little tetchy.

“My deepest apologies,” he said with a charming smile. “I’m afraid that we were off-planet on Republic negotiations. We obviously were more than happy to respond as soon as was feasible – wouldn’t have _dreamt_ of delaying at all.”

“I’ve had to have twenty-six daily meetings with Mr. Fett in your absence,” Ms. Wendin said, all of her eyes wide and broken. “ _Do you_ _know what that was like?”_

“I can only imagine,” Obi-Wan said sympathetically. The plant pot had been picked up and moved closer to them. “Mr. Fett does have _quite_ the reputation, which I’m sure means that you see why he’d be an entirely unfit guardian. As such, I expect this should be a relatively short process, yes?”

The way Ms. Wendin’s tentacles twitched suggested he wasn’t getting away quite that easily. _Kriffit_.

“Let’s talk about you being off-planet,” she said abruptly. “On Republic negotiations, was it?”

“Ah – yes,” Obi-Wan said slowly. “The Trisnlains wanted Jedi oversight in negotiating the internal trade monopolies on their planet.” He tried a reassuring smile. “As Jedi, we’re happy to serve the Republic in its peaceful endeavours.” That sounded child-friendly, right? He paused. “Ms. Wendin, is it really necessary for Mr. Fett to be present during this interview?”

It was rather unsettling to feel a visored helmet glare at you, but that was undeniably happening.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ms. Wendin said very deliberately and very woodenly. “Mr. Fett isn’t present here.”

“Ah,” Obi-Wan said, not quite sure how to deal with that. Ms. Wendin bulldozed on very firmly.

“So you took your child to work with you? How was he assisting?”

“Just the normal,” Obi-Wan said breezily. “Taking notes, asking a few people questions, just supporting in the normal, Padawan way.”

He carefully did not mention the attempted kidnapping by sub-secretary, who it turned out had rather objected to having his clan’s monopoly on the fire-silk market broken. Anakin hadn’t even had a hair on his head singed and they’d tidied it up all very neatly, he thought. The plant’s leaves shook as Jango Fett leant his head round to get a view at whatever Ms. Wendin was typing.

“That sounds rather like you had your ten-year-old child _working_ , Mr. Kenobi,” Ms. Wendin said very sternly.

“Padawans are exempt from child labour laws,” Obi-Wan said promptly. The CORUCAFSS representative looked supremely unimpressed at that.

“So for clarity,” she said slowly, “You aren’t saying that you don’t put your child to work, just that it’s legal to use them for labour.”

Obi-Wan paused. This felt like a trap.

“I am saying that if my Padawan _did_ happen to have done any work, it would be legal under current Republic law,” he tried. “But obviously, I make sure to prioritise his educational attainment over any other obligations.” She didn’t seem charmed by his smile.

“Educational attainment,” she said.

“And health!” Obi-Wan said swiftly. “And mental well-being! All, obviously, prioritised.”

“I _see_ ,” Ms. Wendin said. That didn’t sound particularly positive. She took a note on her datapad and Obi-Wan managed not to crane to see what she was writing. He noted sourly that Jango Fett was in prime position and was all but radiating smugness into the Force.

“He’s done very well since he’s come into Jedi custody a year ago,” Obi-Wan said, trying to distract her. “He can now read and write Basic fluently, and he’s picked up another two languages.”

Ms. Wendin hummed.

“And when you take your child to work,” she said implacably, “What are the precautions that you take, to ensure his health and wellbeing?”

“Precautions?” Obi-Wan asked blankly.

“Breaks, for example, to ensure that he is not overworked,” Ms. Wendin said. “Health and safety precautions. Care taken to ensure that your child is not exposed to unsavoury behaviour or people.”

“Oh, I make sure he sleeps every night,” Obi-Wan said brightly. Master Che had pulled him aside to specifically ensure he knew that children were supposed to sleep regularly. “And that he eats every day too!” He knew he was doing that one right. Apparently his own youthful malnutrition had made the healers wary – sometimes Qui-Gon Jinn had forgotten that needs could go beyond the Force. He’d taken careful notes on what he needed to provide.

…Was there something wrong with that answer? Ms. Wendin was looking a little horrified.

“Children have a legal _minimum_ requirement of a break every 4.5 hours, daily rest of 12 hours and weekly rest of 48 hours, although that assumes that they are old enough to be legally permitted to work _which your son is technically not_ ,” she said after a moment. “Can I take from your answer that your child is _not_ getting the required rest breaks?”

Every _4.5 hours_? Well, that just seemed excessive. Although…

“Can I have a copy of these regulations?” Obi-Wan asked thoughtfully. “I’d like to show them to the Council.” He paused. “Also, are there versions for adults?”

Ms. Wendin stared at him. After a moment, she pressed a few buttons on her datapad and he felt his comm buzz with the delivery of the relevant regulations. “Many thanks,” he said, and tucked his hands into his robe sleeves. Regulations around breaks! Who would have thought it?

“…And the other aspects of safeguarding your child?” she asked, with a note suggesting she didn’t really want the answer.

“Oh, I do my absolute best to ensure that Anakin isn’t exposed to unsavoury behaviour,” Obi-Wan assured her. Although the Chancellor _did_ seem to be trying to undo that. It was most unsettling. “The Jedi are very respectable after all! Unlike bounty hunters.”

There was a noise of mechanical outrage from Jango Fett’s armour. Ms. Wendin very carefully did not acknowledge it. “So you would say that you try to avoid, for example, violence around him?” she asked.

“Certainly,” Obi-Wan said. “The Jedi only use violence as a last resort. We are peacekeepers after all.”

Ms. Wendin hummed. “Was he present when you apprehended the sub-secretary on your negotiation mission to Trisnla?” she asked and Obi-Wan went still.

“I… hadn’t thought mission reports were made available to the public,” he said very carefully. This was met by another note on the datapad. Obi-Wan eyed the thing with increasing animosity, before taking care to release the negative emotions to the Force.

“I was able to have a brief chat with your son,” Ms. Wendin said. Her smile was a sharp little thing and one of her tentacles reached up to tap near her lips. “Perhaps if I were to quote it would help.”

 _Please don’t_ , Obi-Wan thought.

“’And then the sub-secretary tried to throw a sonic grenade at us because he’d been smuggling controlled goods and Obi-Wan was like kshhh-kshhh with his lightsaber and took four of his arms right off!’” Ms. Wendin recited, slowly and deliberately. “’It was so wizard!’”

It _had_ been rather wizard, Obi-Wan thought in his defence. An exemplary demonstration of Form II. He didn’t think Ms. Wendin was going to appreciate that.

“Tragically, some beings choose to force us to violence,” he said very carefully. “Obviously, we are very clear that this is not desirable behaviour.”

Ms. Wendin’s hum did not sound convinced and Obi-Wan bristled. _Release your emotion to the Force,_ he repeated to himself firmly.

“Let’s next talk about _culture_ ,” Ms. Wendin said.

 _Oh no_ , Obi-Wan thought.

*******

“Well,” Obi-Wan said as they left the CORUCAFSS building. “Well. That was certainly something, wasn’t it?” He was sure his smile was quite fixed on his face and Anakin couldn’t stop glancing at him in confusion.

“You were in there for _ages_ ,” he said and Obi-Wan managed to refrain from shuddering. It had been ages. She had been relentless, an akk-hound on the trail of its prey. They had to come back tomorrow as well – apparently she wanted to talk through his _own_ raising, which at least he was more comfortable in saying she wouldn’t find fault there. After that, there would be an additional series of interviews with Anakin – which, on that topic-

“Are you hungry?” he asked. Apparently human children were supposed to eat _three_ times a day which seemed deeply inefficient. Certainly his Master had never made them stop that often.

“Uh,” Anakin said. “Kind of? It’s not time for latemeal though.”

“We should eat, then,” Obi-Wan said. He paused after a moment – perhaps he could hit two droids with one blaster-bolt here. “Is there any food from Tatooine that you’d care to have? Perhaps we can find a Tatooinian restaurant.”

“Why would anyone willingly eat food from Tatooine?” Anakin asked in morbid fascination.

“It is important not to Lose your Culture, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. Ms. Wendin had been very clear on that – he could hear the capitals in her voice now.

“Well,” Anakin said after a moment. “I guess I always liked flitter-breads. They’re a kind of flatbread stuffed with flittermoths – it’s best when they’re still alive.”

Obi-Wan felt ill underneath his forced serenity. “Live bugs,” he repeated slowly. “Wonderful.” A quick search found a singular provider of Tatooine food, some half hour’s travel away. With deep reluctance, he booked the table.

“Well,” he said brightly, ushering Anakin into a speeder. “Off we go!”

(At least he wouldn’t be the only person to suffer, he thought vindictively, spotting a distinctive suit of armour drop into the speeder behind them. Jango Fett could Embrace Tatooinian Culture as well. Bastard.)


	3. Chapter 3

“Breaks every _six hours_?” Bant asked incredulously.

“For adults. _And_ eleven hours rest between each working day,” Obi-Wan nodded. “Ms. Wendin sent over the regulations. For children, it’s every _four and a half hours_.”

“Eleven hours’ rest,” Bant said. Her eyes had taken on an almost dreamy quality. “I don’t think I’ve had eleven hours’ rest in… years now.” She paused. “Wait, no. I had a weekend off when I was over in the Njuri system, during the parade. That was only a year and a half ago.”

“I had about a week off, after my Master’s death,” Obi-Wan said and the two of them paused to bow their heads in respect.

“But it’s not just the rest thing,” Obi-Wan said, once the moment had passed. “You’re not supposed to expose any children to undue harm _either_. Dangerous situations. Things where there might be, say, _blaster bolts_ and _murder_ and _smugglers_ and,” he flailed expressively.

“Oh please,” Bant said dismissively. “That was just you and Qui-Gon Jinn.”

Obi-Wan raised a slow eyebrow. “And just how many times did _you_ get kidnapped by pirates when you were a Padawan, _Knight Eerin_?”

Bant’s red skin turned faintly yellow in embarrassment. “We don’t talk about that,” she said. Obi-Wan let his smug silence talk for him instead.

“It’s not just us though,” he said, once he felt Bant had stewed enough in her shame. “Garen went undercover with darksiders when he was twelve, Siri had that _thing_ with the slavers and Quinlan-“ he trailed off.

“Quinlan _kriffing_ Vos,” Bant said, in tones of empathy. They both paused to check the surrounding area, as if expecting him to come sauntering out half-dressed, half-drunk, and ready to throw everything around him into chaos.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Obi-Wan said. “There’s a huge amount of regulation around safe work environment. I’ve been doing my research.” He paused and then corrected himself, a stickler for fairness. “I’ve been making Anakin do my research as part of his coursework.”

“Excellent delegation,” Bant praised and Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgement.

“For some reason, the Senate’s decided that this just doesn’t apply to the Jedi,” he said. “However, unjust work conditions affect the quality and impact of what we do on a day-to-day basis and-“

Bant raised a hand, and Obi-Wan paused.

“Spare me the recruitment spiel,” she said calmly. “Breaks sound like a remarkable innovation. What are we doing?”

In anyone else, the spreading smile might have been called malicious. The best Obi-Wan could manage, however, was benevolently conspiratorial. Bant noted to herself that they’d need to recruit some of the less upstanding members of the Jedi Order in their quest.

“My dear Bant,” he said grandly. “Have you ever heard of _unionising_?”

Bant hummed thoughtfully. “Are you going to have time for unionising in the middle of your custody case?” she asked pointedly. Obi-Wan collapsed into sagging despair.

“Probably not,” he admitted despondently. “Jango Fett is the _bane of my life_.”

She nodded. “So I assume you’re handing this over to my management?” she asked and Obi-Wan summoned up a hopeful smile. Obviously. Well, there was no point going at something half-heartedly, she believed, and Obi-Wan was _hardly_ the person to go to for organising anything more significant than the bodyguarding of a planet’s ruler in the middle of a civil war.

“Send me the information,” she said imperiously. Now, if she could corner Master Koon as he came out of the creche and start talking about the safety of the younglings, she’d have her first High Council convert…

She barely noticed as Obi-Wan began to tiptoe backwards, lost in her plotting. He fled before she could start cackling.

* * *

Maleena Wendin checked her notes. She kept two of her eyes glued carefully on the unassuming woman sat placidly in front of her. This Shmi Skywalker met the description of the woman and yet there was something _deeply suspicious_ about this all. She was far too reasonable a woman to have married (and she scanned the room in paranoia, settling only when she was able to note no potted plants in the vicinity) _Jango Fett_.

“So you let a strange man that you’d known for a couple of days take your son off-planet?” she checked and Shmi Skywalker stared back at her.

“I was a _slave_ Ms. Wendin,” she said firmly. “My son had just won an important race that led to a number of highly positioned crime lords losing significant sums of money. Had he stayed on Tatooine he would have been re-enslaved in a very short time period – if he hadn’t been murdered in short order, that was. In comparison to that fate, entrusting him to a man that on the balance of probabilities was likely a Jedi seemed to be my best option.” She spoke with a coarse Outer Rim accent, but she was undeniably well-educated in her choice of words.

Maleena couldn’t really fault her logic either. She noted it down anyway.

“And then you met Mr. Fett,” she said leadingly and Shmi hummed.

“Yes,” she said. “He had done some damage to his ship that I was able to repair. I believe he was impressed by my mechanical skills and we got to know each other.”

“At the end of which, he brutally murdered your owner and then married you,” Maleena said.

“Oh, Watto’s death was hardly the only cost for my marriage,” Shmi said easily. “I also asked him to kill twelve other slave owners and free thirty-two slaves as part of my bride price. That was what made me favour his offer over Cliegg’s, you see.”

Maleena almost didn’t want to ask. “Cliegg?”

“Cliegg Lars,” Shmi said. “He was a moisture farmer who wanted a bride. He offered to buy me off Watto and free me in exchange for my marrying him.” She shrugged. “In comparison, Jango’s willingness to free thirty-two of my fellow slaves seemed a much better offer.” She smiled.

“Ah,” Maleena said a little weakly. “So you – traded marriage for some murders and freedom for others.”

“Oh yes,” Shmi said. “Jango also set the others up with a living – a few are nannying for some mercenaries, one’s over as a secretary for the bounty hunters’ guild, El-Ami’s managing security for some night clubs, there are a few others doing some minor errands for me… he was very generous.”

“It sounds very transactional,” Maleena tried after a moment. It sounded very much like a crime-lord’s set up, is what she managed not to say. She eyed Shmi very suspiciously.

“Most things are when you come down to it,” Shmi said. She seemed very calm about it.

“And – do you travel with Mr. Fett?” she asked. “He does appear to have a very high-risk job.” A very high-risk job with very high pay-outs, she noted from the financial records he’d submitted. In particular, there was one contract with the Kaminoan government that seemed to be worth _millions_ in sub-contracting fees. No doubt this was how Ms. Skywalker could afford to pay for some people to do some ‘minor errands’ for her.

“No,” Shmi said. “We’ve settled in a peaceful location – I tend to the home and manage some of his – and my – business obligations. He travels often, but he leaves Boba with me more often than not.”

 _Business obligations_ , Maleena thought. She opened her mouth to ask what those might be and then promptly closed it again at Shmi’s gentle smile.

“And Boba would be his child,” Maleena checked instead. “How old is he now?”

“ _Our_ child,” Shmi corrected with a hint of steel in her voice. “And he’s just turned three.”

“Do you struggle at all with co-parenting?”

“It’s been very amiable,” Shmi said. There was a note that suggested that had it not been very amiable, Jango Fett may well have regretted it seriously. “Boba is a very well-behaved child.”

“And no disagreements on child-rearing?” Maleena prompted. Shmi considered this.

“We did have to discuss the appropriate age for blaster-training,” she said a little thoughtfully. “Jango was persuaded to give it a little more time, however.” She smiled very pleasantly. “We compromised with a stun-only blaster.”

“He wanted to give a three-year-old a live blaster?!” Maleena demanded, aghast. Shmi blinked at her.

“Self-defence is very important for a child to learn,” she said. “However, I do agree that a live blaster was inappropriate at that age.” She paused. “Hence our compromise.”

Maleena wasn’t sure how much compromise there had been, given the steely glint in Ms. Skywalker’s eyes. “It’s wonderful that you were able to find a suitable path forward,” she said a little weakly, swallowing her protests about stun blasters, and Shmi Skywalker inclined her head with the regality of a queen.

“And his travels,” Maleena tried to broach again. Shmi arched an eyebrow.

“I don’t ask,” she said very simply. “It’s important to allow both members of a married couple their little secrets.”

Maleena wondered what Shmi Skywalker’s ‘little secrets’ might be. Given the ease that she’d talked about negotiating the murder of multiple sentients – slave owners though they might have been – she suspected she didn’t entirely want to know. One of her tentacles started up its nervous tapping again, and she moved to sit on it.

“So it was Mr. Fett who chose to submit the custody claim for your son,” she said leadingly and Shmi considered this.

“I do not necessarily object to Jedi custody of my son,” she said after a moment. “My most significant concern is obviously that Ani is free, and then that he is safe and happy. I understand there is often some delicacy around learning to use the Force that may require training.”

Maleena Wendin wondered what Shmi Skywalker might think of her son’s most recent attempted kidnapping. She decided not to mention it for the moment.

“ _However_ ,” Shmi said firmly. “I do struggle with the idea that he is not permitted to talk to me. I submitted _several_ requests to the Temple and I was highly unimpressed with their response. Madame Nu is a most unreasonable woman.” Her lips pursed tightly.

Maleena Wendin was very glad that she wasn’t this Madame Nu. She suspected that there might be a Confrontation in the near future and she _certainly_ wouldn’t be placing any money on the Jedi in this case.

“I believe the Jedi discourage attachments. It seems to be part of their religion,” Maleena said after a moment. Shmi shrugged in response.

“Ani’s never been very good with religion,” she said. “He managed to get us banned from seven different religious orders before he was five.” She smiled fondly. “I believe the Sons of the Red Moons were particularly upset when he managed to make the womp-rat sacrifices rise up in revolution.”

Maleena stared at her.

“They formed their own mini-society,” Shmi explained. “One of the womp-rats took to wearing robes and preaching, but I understand the final straw was when they began singing hymns about the Son of Suns. Apparently this was a great affront to the moons.”

“I see,” Maleena said. She most certainly did not see.

“They weren’t very good singers,” Shmi confessed. “Fifty womp-rats in a choir is not really what you want to hear at 5AM every morning. I was a bit grateful that the Great Schism put an end to that.”

Maleena considered this. After a few moments, she carefully compartmentalised the past few minutes of their conversation although she spared a second for her mind to puzzle over the thought of an apparent religion-breaking child joining a supposed monastic order. She hoped that the Temple’s mouse-droids wouldn’t form any kind of choirs. She couldn’t cope with 5AM hymns.

“And,” Maleena said, fumbling for both a change of conversation and specific words. “What do you think of how he’s been raised since?” She thought of the Naboo dogfight and the various other missions that Anakin had gleefully related to her, seemingly expecting her to be very impressed by the fact that he’d assisted in the takedown of no fewer than three spice smugglers over the past eighteen months. (How many spice smugglers were there in Coruscant that needed Jedi attention?! What were Coruscant Security even doing with their time? She had many strong opinions that she had full intention of expressing at the next Coruscant Services fundraiser because _certain people_ were clearly slacking in their obligations.)

Shmi brightened a little. “Obviously I’ve not been able to talk to him yet,” and the glance she cast Maleena’s way indicated that she expected that to be fixed very soon, “But he seems to be thriving! I checked in the undercity and he’s not been registered in a _single_ illegal podrace, so clearly this Jedi looking after him is doing some good.”

That seemed a very low barrier, Maleena thought. She tried a human-approved smile anyway.

“I believe there may have been one or two encounters that might be less than preferred,” she ventured. “Kidnappings, and so forth.”

“Oh, Ani used to get kidnapped every other month when Watto owned us,” Shmi said. “Podracers get very competitive you know. I hear that his Jedi has been appropriately firm with those who would think to take him though, which is quite right.”

“He chopped off the sub-secretary’s arms,” Maleena said numbly. “Four of them.”

“Which did leave him with two more arms than _I’d_ have left him with,” Shmi conceded. “You’re right to point that out.” She frowned. “I think that this behaviour could be fixed with a few gentle discussions, however. This Obi-Wan doesn’t seem _unreasonable_.”

Maleena Wendin withdrew all of her previous thoughts about Shmi Skywalker seeming a reasonable woman. Clearly she and Jango Fett were well-matched.


End file.
